I fancy a BMX to help improve my poor basic skills. However I am a 37 yo woman and have never ridden a BMX. I don’t want to spend much money. I am 5 foot 6. Can anyone suggest a bike. I genuinely don’t have the faintest idea what would be suitable.
Thank you for any advice.

The main perk of a bmx is that you had one when you were a kid.
I’m 45 and didn’t, so went on a skills day which helped a lot.

Lol.
Thanks for the standard STW response, but I want a BMX not a skills day.
Cheers anyway.

Completes are pretty good these days,
look for a last years model “Fit” complete or something similar.

How about this heavily discounted United.
http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/product/23731/United_Recruit_RN2_Bike_2010

looks good enough to me!

Depending on budget, I’d try emailing Source Bmx and tell them what you’ve said here. They’ll sort you out.

Thanks, at 5’6″ should I be looking at 20″ wheels?
To explain further, there is a pump track and a couple of table tops on my way home from work. I could easily chuck a BMX in the back of the car and get 30 mins practice in while rush hour dies down.

20″ all day long!

Go for it! I never had a BMX as a kid (they weren’t invented then 😆 ) but have been making up for it since I turned 40. 16 years later I’m still cr@p but it’s certainly no less fun. I’m only 5’2″ so anything over 20″ toptube feels too long (current ride is 19.5) – I’d guess at 5’6″ a 20″ or 20.25 toptube would be about right. As Tom83 says, give Source a call – very helpful, and if you have a pump track near you I can confirm that they are a shedload of fun. Enjoy!!!

Hey, I’m 40 and recently got a bmx!!! I contacted a few places including source as j used to live that way but ended up getting a wethepeople versus from 2012, wtp completes are well regarded as are a lot of other makes. Depending on budget and what you want to do on it look for chromo frame, forks, double walled rims and sealed bearings if poss. The bmx box has 10% off at the moment and they have a fly trebon or a few Sunday bikes which are great value when the discount is applied 🙂

Good luck

Just checked their site and its the fly neutron 2012 model or a Sunday garret reeves ex which has a lot of odyssey after market parts

There’s always the option of joining a local club and hiring a bike and kit to see if you like it first. Club membership tends to be cheap, £10 for the year then gate sessions a few quid a pop plus a couple of quid bike hire, based on ManchesterBMX and Bruntwood Park BMX Club. We even had Abi Taylor, Cal Strickland, Tre White, Kyle Evans and Liam Philips at BPBMX yesterday morning, pretty impressive gate session and this 38year old novice wasn’t intimidated. BMXers are a lovely bunch 🙂

That recruit from Winstanley looks ok. At £150 if it doesn’t work out I have a nephew who would be more than happy with it for a Christmas present. Any reason not to? I’ve had a look on the Source site but they all seem a bit more expensive. Would a beginner notice the difference between the recruit and the cheaper Source bikes?

Go for it! I recently got my first BMX at 39 (never had one as a kid) and its brilliant. I ride at Rush indoor skatepark a lot, but also have a BMX/pump track near where I work and a couple of little concrete skateparks too, so I very often pop out on it for 45 mins at lunchtime. Amazing fun, I can’t get enough, I ride it a lot more than my MTBs now. That United looks good, I doubt you’ll do much better for £150. Stop thinking and start buying 😀

Get one!

For £150 I would go for Hoffman Ontic
Over the one above, it has 3pc cranks and sealed bearings. These are the things I was told to look out for when I was looking (by my cousin who is a bmx whizzkid)

Also look on 2nd hand sites, my wee sister got a decent mongoose for £60, I just had to tighten the bb and rear hub and it was great. I have a lovely chrome Hoffman Condor that I was given as a gift, really nice retro style. We ride at the local outdoor track for free in summer and the indoor park in winter.

PS. I am 34 and female so you’re in good company!

Im with you wilko1999, i got a bmx last summer for riding the local bmx track near work at lunch time. Its great fun except in school holiday when gets a bit packed but really helped my mtb skill and allot of fun to ride, now practicing my footjam tailwhips but ouch my shins!!
Go for it you love it!

I have a lovely chrome Hoffman Condor that I was given as a gift
Thats quite a desireable bike in the retro BMX world.

Stevet1, I love it, it is the 2012 replica, not the original… still a head turner! Looks like the original but modern geo and parts. 😀

Ah, that Hoffman Ontic now looks like the better option, go for that one! Worth pointing out that you may have to do a bit of construction if you order from Winstanleys. That’s where I got mine a few months back and there was a lot left to put together. Especially if you are going to fit both brakes, they can be quite a fiddle. Can’t complain though with such big discounts really.

Cheers all. Sadly the Hoffman is out of stock. I’ll have a quick look at eBay.